


Among the Flowers

by Charlie9646



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blindness, Chronic Pain, Cunnilingus, Disability, Divorce, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Greenhouse, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hurt and comfort, Light Bondage, M/M, Moving On, Nymphadora Tonks Lives, Outdoor Sex, Post-War, Professor AU, Severus Snape Lives, Shibari, Smut, Snark, clear consent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:08:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie9646/pseuds/Charlie9646
Summary: Tonks just wants to do a job that she is both safe to do and makes her happy, so she takes the offer to become the transfigurations professor at Hogwarts.But in doing so she finds something else with Severus Snape. Sometimes those who bring us the most joy also push our buttons.
Relationships: Past Remus Lupin/Sirius Black, Severus Snape/Nymphadora Tonks, past Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14
Collections: A Devious & Diverse New Year





	Among the Flowers

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [ADeviousDiverseNewYear](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ADeviousDiverseNewYear) collection. 



> **Prompt:** My prompt was 
> 
> After Divorce, Self Acceptance
> 
> Thank you to meditationsinemergencies for Betaing this and loving this pairing just as much as I do. Thank you to Starryar for Alphaing this and sparking the idea for the direction this went.
> 
> Happy New Year guys, I hope 2021 is better than 2020.

The day Remus asked Tonks for a divorce had been one of the worst days of her life. It cut her like a knife as she stood there elbows deep in soapy water scrubbing a pot in the sink. The man might as well have stabbed her with the feelings that he had caused to brew within her. Part of her wanted to hate him, to scream at him, or maybe to tell him that he could go to bloody hell. But Remus stood before her those months ago like this was breaking him just as much as it was hurting her.

You could not ask someone to be someone different than who they were. He could not continue being someone he was not. Remus had spent most of his life lying to people about who and what he was, but him telling her the truth was a greater sign of love than spending the rest of his life with her. Even if it hurt her so deeply that she didn’t believe that she could survive it. 

She had given him what he had asked for, understanding that the man still loved her cousin Sirius. The one who he had been apart from longer than he had ever been with him. Remus thought he was doing this for her. That he was helping her, but she would be better off without a husband who had given his heart to someone else. Part of her had wanted to cling to him, to hold onto him tight and swear to him that they could make this work… but she didn’t. Tonks steeled herself, put on a brave face and did what she had to do, her very best to survive. 

And she let him go. 

She had survived the war. She was still here after the death of her father, her mentor, and nearly losing her own life. Being divorced before thirty would not be half as hard. Remus would still be a part of Teddy’s life and always would be. Lack of love for their child wasn’t separating them; it was everything else tied up in a wretched bow. Tonks set those thoughts aside, now she stood outside of Hogwarts. Minerva had asked her to come at the beginning of the summer to set up for the next year. This job, becoming the Transfigurations Professor was not part of her plans growing up, but they needed one now. The Headmistress couldn’t do what she had done last year stretching herself far too thin and taking on both duties. 

No one else wanted the job for some odd reason. Others pushed that Harry should take it, but he was dead set on becoming an Auror, which she did not blame him for. Tonks craved to go back in the field, but her stupid leg was not going to allow that. The curse she had gotten from her aunt retiring her from the career that had been her dream for as long as she could remember. It had left her with a permanent limp, a numb foot, pain that licked like flames most days, and scars that reminded her of spider webs. But life was not about dwelling in the dreams in the past, it was about the future and what you were willing to make of it. 

She took another step towards Hogwarts and her future. Some might think that she was a horrible person for taking a job that meant that she would be away from her son, but it was for the best. Remus and she both needed this… a bit of distance to let their wounds heal. Teddy would visit her during the weekend, and if she wanted to she could Floo to Remus’ for dinner or so the man had offered to allow her to do. 

Teddy would be eating breakfast now, surely splashing his pumpkin juice in his sippy cup around as he always did. 

_ ‘Would her son ask his dad where she was? Why wasn’t his mum the one making him breakfast? And could he make the duck faces like his mum did?’ _

Tonks was not a monster. She was not a heartless bird kicking her baby out of the nest, but sometimes distance was not a bad thing, Remus was a good dad and she could see Teddy tonight. All she had to do was be at Hogwarts during the day and sleep there. The only difference between this and another job was she would sleep at Hogwarts and with a different one she would be at home, which would still be the case with anyone else who was divorced. 

The sound of boots clacking against the stone snapped Tonks out of her rambling thoughts and worry. 

“Good morning,” Minerva called out. “I am so happy to see you and was worried that you had gotten lost somehow.”

“Nope,” Tonks answered. “Well actually maybe but it was in my mind.”

“‘That happens to the best of us now, doesn’t it?” the headmistress murmured. “But how about I show you to your quarters before we go about our tour?” 

“You know I don’t need a tour, I know this place like the back of my hand,” she laughed.

“Of course you do,” Minerva said, her brown eyes warm, as if she was thinking about the past. “You and Charlie Weasley sunk around it enough during your time here to do so. Beaten only by the Marauders before you and the twins after you. But things are different now, at least somewhat, so humour me when it comes to the tour, will you?”

Charlie was her closest friend. They were tied together like the strongest of knots. He carried some of her secrets about how she did not care about what people called her as long as it wasn’t Nymphadora, and she knew that no matter how much his mother pressed Charlie Weasley would never marry or date someone, it just wasn’t something that he wanted out of his life. 

“Of course.” 

Tonks' heart swelled with joy. This was a new beginning, a chance to start anew and make a life herself. She clenched her cane tightly and followed Minerva into Hogwarts, this might not be the life she dreamed of when she attended this school as a student, but this could be a happy one all the same. They walked through the heavy doors, which creaked as they opened. She scanned her eyes up around the room, taking every single detail in. This place was like coming home; it made her feel like anything was possible in that instant. 

“Hello Tonks,” Hagrid said as they passed the half-giant. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“It is,” she said, turning to face the man. “It’s nice to see you.” 

“You're going to be a professor now?” He asked.

“Yes, I think it’s going to be a good start for me, a new start.”

Hagrid reached out and pulled Tonks close in a bear hug, “Hogwarts is a great place to make a new start, always has been and always will be.” 

She patted his back gently and pulled away from him. “It is, and I am sure Minerva wants to get going, don’t you?”

“Yes, we should get going,” the headmistress said. “Have a good day, Hagrid, and we will see you at supper.”

The two women climbed the stairs. Tonks let herself wonder about what her students would be like and what it would like to teach. Life was a beautiful thing and she was going to enjoy every single day of it. Her hair changed from a rather boring mousey brown to bubblegum pink. The past was the past and the future was now. 

  
  


**** 

Tonks didn't know how they ended up doing this in the days and weeks that had passed since she started working at Hogwarts. Why they end up having whatever this thing could be called. Some might call it a relationship, but they both seemed to be keeping the other at a distance. Maybe that was for the best all things considered, they both had a rather bad habit of ruining a good thing. But no matter what it was she did not know why Severus Snape’s goal seemed to be to drive her utterly nuts, but part of her enjoyed it greatly. It was as if this was their own form of strange flirting. As they were dancing around one another. He pushed every single button that she had for the simple pleasure of watching her explode and she gave it right back, which he took with ease. They were sitting next to each other at breakfast at the head table, like they always did, their arms brushing against one another. 

She caught herself watching the git through her hair,  _ ‘why was she giving him the bloody attention that he so desperately seemed to want it? Right… because teasing each other like this was fun.’  _

Tonks long ago had done this with Charlie Weasley, but they had been children then, and there was no attraction between the two of them. Though Severus and her were not children, even if this was a game. And she did find him rather attractive much to her shock having never thought about him that way before, but he seemed different now, as if the world around him was no longer trying to crush him.

Yet Snape was still a git most of the time, but he knew that fact and in a lot of aspects did not want to be any different. His long white cane leaned against the table and Severus twisted it around with long spider-like fingers. He set it aside and shoved his food around his plate with his fork. 

“Stop elbowing me, would you?” Severus muttered, giving Tonks a sharp shove for good measure. Under his breath, he added, “You insufferable little witch.” 

Tonks sighed and then growled, she shoved him back harder as if silently to tell him to go fuck himself. She then turned in his direction but looked past him at Minerva who was on Severus’ other side. 

“Good thing the students aren’t here yet, they might pick up some of your bad habits,” he said, staring at her with sharp black eyes. “They might learn to shove people and kick each other. Is it part of being left-handed to be so clumsy and pushy?” 

“Says the man who ran straight into a door frame yesterday,” Tonks remarked, then took a bite of her apple. 

Severus tapped his fingers across the table, “I have an excuse! What’s yours?”

She crossed her arms across her chest, “you keep shoving me, that’s mine.”

Minerva looked over at them both over her glasses, her salt and pepper hair falling into her face, “both of you I am so appalled at your behaviour! You're both behaving like toddlers, either quit it or take it outside! I expect more from both of you at your ages. I knew first years who behave better than either of you. Is something going on between you two? 

“We will stop,” They both said together, smiling at each other for a half of a second. Part of their behaviours was to drive the other mad, but also because it was quite fun. 

“Nothing is going on between us,” Tonks said, clearing her throat.

“Tonks, I need some help finding something in the greenhouses, would you mind helping me?” Severus asked, smiling at her like they were sharing some wonderful secret. 

She was lying there was something going on between them. They had been doing this for weeks, sneaking around like seventh years who had just made it to second base. But neither of them was that, they were both grown, weathered, but still very much alive. This was like lighting in her veins and a reason to get up in the morning, but there was a real fear of being caught and yet that was what made it so bloody fun. Severus placed his hand on her knee under the table. His touch was like a jolt and snapped her out of her thoughts. Her teeth sunk into her lip trying to hold back a shiver but she failed. 

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to… I am sure that someone else wouldn’t mind helping me,” he murmured, as he ran his fingers up her thigh. He was teasing her, toying with her like she was just something to have fun with. And she loved every single bit of it.

“I think that would be a good idea,” Minerva said. “And it’s not like you have much else to do, and you were always good with plants if I remember correctly.” 

“Yes…” Tonks croaked, trying to hide her arousal, the small bit of shame that the man had done that to her in public even if it wasn’t that horrible, even if it wasn’t that scandalous. She cleared her throat and added, “yes, I can help you, Severus, and you are right, Minerva, I do know quite a bit about plants, herbology was one of my favourite subjects when I was in school.” 

Severus yanked his hand from her thigh and straightened himself back out. Gone was the man showing that he was not made of stone. The side of him that very few people got to see. “Well that settles it then, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” she replied. 

“Well then you should get to it after breakfast then,” the headmistress said. “The weather is rather nice today and you might as well enjoy it.”

“Actually,” he said sharply. “This potion ingredient is better picked when the sun is down, you don’t mind do you, Tonks?”

“No, I don’t.” 

“Well the two of you have a nice day and hopefully you two can find whatever it is that you're looking for.”

Tonks was a grown woman, she was a mother, divorced, and a professor, but yet this was fun. This was foolish, as foolish as anything could be, and yet she didn’t want this to end. Maybe she was playing with fire, but part of her wanted to be burned because there was so much joy from dancing in the flames. Maybe this would be the last time and then she would say no more, but Tonks knew she wouldn’t, she was having far too much fun, but so was Severus.

  
  


**** 

The sound of Severus’ metal cane tip tapping along the stone floor of the greenhouse filled Tonks’ ears. Clack, click, clack. It sounded like someone walking high heels. Once in a while, he would smack it against something and her lover would course correct shifting ever so slightly to avoid running into something that was ahead of him. He actually did need the plant he had been mentioning for a potion, but there were other reasons he had asked her for help. Something that was far more fun than picking a few flowers. 

“ _ Lumos,”  _ Tonks whispered, doing the wand motion without much thought. 

She leaned heavily onto her support cane with each step, her right leg shook ever so slightly, though Tonks steadied herself by standing firmly. The soft warm light filled the space and allowed her to see the frosted windows of the greenhouse. There were plants around them, vines, flowers and leaves were twisted together like iron gates. She reached out and brushed her fingertips against a flower closest to her, it was a pale lavender with bright green leaves. 

“Why did you take this job?” Severus asked, turning around to face her. “It just didn’t seem like something you would do… You loved being an Auror or at least I thought that you did.” 

“I did,” she sighed, leaning against one of the tables covered in plants, though her voice became more firm. “But I wasn’t willing to do it half-arsed. I wasn’t willing to spend the rest of my life sitting at a bloody desk. I couldn’t work in the field anymore and maybe I could have pushed to make them allow me to, but honestly? With what we did during the war and what happened to Moody, but I was not willing to put someone else at risk just because I still loved the job. It was better to teach the next generation of witches and wizards. Beyond that, this job gives me more time to spend with Teddy and gives Remus and I some distance as well, but why are you asking me that anyway?”

“I was just curious,” he murmured, reaching out for her, his fingers cold as they wrapped around her arm, pulling her close.

Tonks traced the scars that marred his neck and Severus shivered under her touch. 

“You also push my buttons, Tonks, but I don’t know what I would do without you, at least not now as crazy as that must sound.”

She ran her fingers down his chest, “It doesn’t sound crazy, now, why don’t we stop playing games and make a real go of this?”

“I think we should,” Severus said, pulling her closer to him. 

“Let’s start tonight then.”

Tonks let go of her cane and it slipped from her grasp, it slammed against the floor. The stars above them reflected against the glass in the dim light leaving everything around them looking rather otherworldly. Tonks reached out grasping his shoulder; rocked up on her toes, and crashed their lips together. Severus’ tongue invaded her mouth, one of his hands snaked up under the back of her shirt. There was something electric about this, something that was so utterly wonderful and she couldn’t seem to even begin to put it into words. Severus’ cane slipped to the floor when Tonks brushed up against it, but neither of them noticed it. 

She went to work undoing the buttons of his shirt, her fingers brushed against his hardening cock once she was finished, which caused him to hiss.

“Snarky little witch, aren’t you?” He growled. 

“It takes one to know one, and there are far worse things that I could be.” 

Severus pulled Tonks’ shirt over her head and tossed it onto the table behind them. He undid her bra setting it aside. 

She cried out, pushing herself against him. 

“Hush,” he muttered, thumb pressing against her lips. 

Tonks wanted to say something else, but Severus’ hands were on her body tracing gentle patterns he was admiring every single inch of her that he could reach. His thumbs traced down her belly settled on her hip bones pressing into them firmly. He pushed her back against the table and then picked Tonks up and sat her on the table. He fumbled around then unbuttoned, pulled the zipper down, and tore off her denims. She let out a squeal and Severus dropped to his knees in front of her. 

He clutched his wand tightly and whispered a spell. Silk ribbons laced their way around her arms in intricate knots behind her back. They held her tight and steadfast; it shivers all over her skin. Tonks shifted trying to see if the ties had any give, but the knots were tight and Severus’ magic intertwined within them. She was not shocked by that and he enjoyed having her at his mercy.

“Are you alright?” Severus asked, “we can stop if you aren’t...We both are going to enjoy this or we won’t do it at all.”

Tonks took a deep breath, she looked down at him where he was kneeling and said, “I want to do this...Now, why don’t you get on with it and fuck me or maybe I will go find someone who can.”

“Such dirty mouth on such a  _ pretty _ woman,” he growled through clenched teeth. “Maybe I should put something in that mouth to keep you quiet.” 

“This _pretty_ woman can kick your arse with both her hands tied behind her back.” 

“I would like to see that,” Severus murmured, as he yanked off her knickers. 

She laughed, “I am sure that you would.” 

He was between her legs now kissing her inner thighs. Tonks’ toes curled when Severus nipped her inner skin.

_ ‘Fuck,’  _ she thought.  _ ‘Maybe allowing him to tie her up wasn’t such a bright idea. But what was done was done and this man was going to bring her pleasure even if it somewhat felt like being sent to hell to get there.’ _

Tonks shifted around on the table and rubbed her thighs together. 

“None of that now,” he said. “Or I might just have to tie you down to keep you there. Are you going to make me do that?” 

“No, I am not going to make you do that,” she mused, tilting her head to the side as she did so, watching him. Part of her wondered what Severus was thinking about and where his mind was at that instant. 

_ ‘Did he actually care for her or was she just a replacement, a second chance, a bandaid on a wound of a life that he couldn’t have. Was she just the person that Severus Snape could have now because the woman he actually loved was dead?’ _

It was sickening to Tonks to even think such a thing, but she for better and for worse was as Severus had earlier called himself, a realist. It was painful to even consider those things, she adored the man and he had claimed earlier that he wanted a life with her… But was it real or was it just like what it had been with Remus a figment. Like finding out your grandmother’s ring actually had a paste stone in it instead of a sapphire. You still might treasure it, but it would never be the same again. 

However, on the same token it might be real, she just had to let it in and give in to her feelings about him. To allow this to be more than just sex. Severus was different now then he had been during the war, softer in a way but also happier. He seemed younger now, as if the weight of the world and war was no longer crushing him. 

“Let go and stop thinking so hard. I am here with you, Tonks, because I want to be with you, not someone else. You aren’t second best to me, you aren’t a replacement, and I darn well hope that I am not to you. I love you.” His voice shaking and trailing off as he spoke those last words. “Your thoughts, they are rather loud when you are nervous about something and sometimes I just can't shut them out.” 

“It’s fine and I understand. I love you, Severus, but right now I just want to be about to forget about everything else...I just want to be about to think about the way you feel against me and inside me. So for the love of Merlin, get on with it. Other times I might have sweet and gentle words for you, but now is not the time for them.” 

“Say please and I just might,” he replied grinning, it looked somewhat odd on his face even if it did reach his eyes. 

“Please,” Tonks said, as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“Say it like you really mean it or I might not do it,” Severus said. 

“You're an arse,” she growled.

“And you want this arse to make love to you.”

“I never said that. I said I wanted you to  _ fuck _ me. So please bloody fuck me or I might have to find someone else who will. Making love is far too sweet for what I want you to do to me.”

“Now, now, we can’t have that,” he murmured and stood up. He kissed her and ran his wand against the ties around her arms, which fell away from her body like confetti.

Tonks stretched out her arms; her joints popping as she did so. Severus checked over her, running both his hands up and down where the ties had been to make sure she had no ill effects from them. 

“Are you okay?” Severus asked. 

She nodded without truly thinking about it and not saying anything. 

“You have to use your words,” he muttered. “I can’t see you nodding your head.” 

“Yes,” Tonks croaked, feeling more lightheaded then she expected to. “I am okay and I still want to do this.” 

Severus pulled her closer to him, she barely was on the table anymore, sitting on the edge of it. He nestled between her thighs. Tonks kissed him and she reached down and undid his belt. He shifted away from her and she leaned her head on his shoulder, they were so close to each other, not just in this instant, but in all things that mattered. Their relationship might not fit into a neat little box, but it was the partnership that they both wanted. That was all that mattered in the end. Tonks hooked her legs around Severus’ hips and kissed his neck. He lined his cock up at her entrance, pressing himself inside of her, causing her to hiss and dig her nails into his back. They moved together, their bodies dancing with one another, she tried to do her best to bring him closer to her. 

“Right there,” she sighed as he hit that spot inside of her. “Gods, why are you so good at this?”

“You could say it’s a talent,” he teased, holding a finger up to her lips. “Say my name, say it because it’s me who is doing this to you, not someone else.” 

“Now why would I do that?”

Severus twisted his fingers into her hair yanking her head back as he slammed into her once more. “Because I said so, brat.” Still fucking her as he spoke. His thumb brushing against her clit causing her to arc against him. 

“I am not a brat, ahh,” Tonks cried out. “Merlin, I’m close.”

“Still. Not. My. Name,” he deadpanned, shutting his eyes as he did so. 

She couldn’t understand Severus was able to stay calm and collected while he was fucking her. It was as if he was simply grading papers, not inside her. Maybe this was all a bloody dream and she was going to wake up from it, but then he was kissing her once more. Tonks was close, that feeling dancing across her skin, twisting and knotting in the pit of her stomach. She pulled away from Severus crying into his neck, her nails digging into his shoulders and the hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Severus…” Tonks cried, as she came. 

“That’s it,” he murmured, taking his own pleasure from her body, falling over the edge and coming inside her not long after. He came with a cry and then steeled himself once more, his breath coming out in sharp puffs. 

They untangled themselves from each other and pulled away from one another. Tonks sat on the table watching Severus as he pulled up his pants and trousers then buckling his belt. He tossed her clothes at her, which caused her to grumble. 

“You're not going to speak to me about this, are you?” She asked and then continued on, “are you only going to only be open with me before we are fucking?” 

“No,” Severus sighed, twisting his fingers into his hair at the nape of his neck and tugging at it. He shifted uncomfortably as he did so and his cheeks turned the lightest shade of pink. “It’s just easier to be open then, I get lost in it and so do you. Outside of this, the real world exists and we have to deal with it. Meddling old Headmistress, your werewolf ex-husband, and the fact I can’t find that stupid…”

The two of them were awkward, nothing was ever going to change that and that was okay. They could be weird together and understand one another in the ways that others could not. Tonks felt safe with Severus, but for whatever reason, he felt safe with her too. 

“What? Maybe I can help you find it. And Remus isn’t a problem, he’s just well... he’s Remus, there isn’t much else that can be said about him, but he isn’t your problem, he’s mine,” Tonks said. “Forget about him and you will only have to deal with Teddy when we both are ready for that. Now, what did you lose?” 

“An application,” he grumbled. “My mother keeps pressing me to apply for something called a guide dog. There is a good chance you don’t even know what I am talking about. ” 

“I do actually,” she laughed, dressing as she did so. “And if you want I can help you find it. It’s a long story and maybe one day I will tell you about why I know about them.” 

“I would be grateful for that and I have been meaning to give you a potion that would help with your joint pain if you want it, that’s why I need the flame lily, which reminds me will you help me find it? And if you feel comfortable enough to let me meet your son I… will be nice to him.”

“Is that even possible for you?” She asked, jumping off the table. 

“Yes,” Severus muttered. “I am capable of being kind. I just regularly choose not to be, but I will be nice to Teddy, he’s your son after all Tonks and for whatever crazy reason I love you.”

“I love you too, Severus,” she said, plucking a flame lily near her and then pulling him down slamming their lips together once more. Neither of them was perfect, but here among the flowers, Tonks realised that they could together, in fact, make a life for themselves. This was not the life that either of them had dreamed of, but when she had stepped foot back at Hogwarts had hoped to make a new start, and here in this moment, it hit her that she had. Love was not about flowers and chocolates, it was this silly man deciding to make a potion to help her with her pain and her tomorrow helping him sort through the stacks of parchment on his desk to find the application. It was supporting the other when they were weak and you were strong. Two people making a go of it did not always look the same, but with the stars above her Tonks knew she wouldn’t have it any other way, though she might insist on round two being in a bed, her arse was rather bloody sore after all having sex in a greenhouse sounded better than it actually was.

  
  
  


  
  
  


  
  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  
  


  
  



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